How to use this Page

I have a friend whose 11-year-old daughter likes scary books. She asks:

Hoping maybe you can help. My daughter who will be 11 in a few months enjoys reading scary books, for example All The Lovely Bad Ones. Do you have any good ones in mind that I could send her way?

I have a lot of suggestions for good middle grade with suspenseful action, but not as many for truly scary horror/ghost story kinds of books. If she’s already outgrown R.L. Stine’s books but isn’t ready for the plethora of paranormal and horror published for teens, I’m sure there are still plenty of scary books for her, but I’m coming up blank. I have a few suggestions, but hopefully the comments will yield more.

• Skeleton Man and its sequels (I believe there are 5 now), Joseph Bruchac

(In fact, that’s the only one I could think of today–I’ll look at my shelves at home again tonight; hopefully others will come to mind.) I’ve also included suggestions from Child_Lit subscribers, with quotes about their read annotated if it would make a difference in choosing the book.*

• Shadowed Summer, Saundra Mitchell (Child_Lit: “A delicious ghost story. Only caveat: heavy on metaphors and similes. Some readers might find it too much.”)


• Halloween Night: Twenty-One Spooktacular Poems (Child_Lit: “scary-funny poems”)


• The Crossroads and The Hanging Hill Chris Grabenstein


• Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice series), Joseph Delaney, and its sequels


• Coraline, Neil Gaiman


• The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman


• The Witches, Roald Dahl


• The House with the Clock in its Walls, John Bellairs, and its sequels


• The Ghost Belonged to Me and Ghosts I Have Been, Richard Peck


• Boots and Pieces, The Curse of Cuddles McGee, and Night of the Living Lawn Ornaments, Emily Ecton

Edited to add:

• Wait Till Helen Comes, Mary Downing Hahn

I’ll add more to the list as suggestions come in.

* Some comments have been edited for brevity.

Tweet This Post

Nothing like being wiped out by a bad head cold. I took advantage of the unexpected extra time today to plow through my to-be-read pile of picture books. Lucky me--I came across a trio of winners. Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson, illus. by Kadir Nelson Sharon Robinson, whose famous dad Jackie should need no introduction, tells a story from her childhood that focuses on her father's courage--

It’s time for my weekly Blog Recommendations. Every once in while I stumble upon a blog that really speaks to me.  Here are 3 fabulous blogs that I am currently following:

*

The Escape Hatch: a blog published by Susan Baker, a Creative Career Consultant of The Escape Hatcher. She helps passionate people make money doing what they love. I recently had my article, “The Mystery of Inspiration is Solved” featured on her blog. The Escape Hatch is full of inspirational stories and insights from people who got creative about making a living.

*

Marie Forleo: This woman is amazing. She teaches women entrepreneurs how to have it all. She offers some very powerful insights into living “Rich, Happy & Hot.” I love that motto.

*

Rock Unemployment: What a clever idea for a business. I met Melanie at a local Biznik mixer.  She gave me her card which read, “Rock Unemployment.” I was sold. She helps creative freelancers go from unemployed to “happy and hired.” No more making excuses about why we can’t get work. Rock Unemployment offers a way for creative freelancers to get back on their feet.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything
Written by: Lenore Look
Illustrated by: Anne Wilsdorf
Simon & Schuster
2006
For ages 6-10 / Grades 1-5



Whoa. Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything takes all the best things from Ruby Lu, Brave and True - relatable and lovable characters, humor, and good clean fun - and kicks things up a notch.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True ends with Chinese American second grader Ruby Lu at the airport with her family and friends to greet relatives emigrating from China. Ruby meets her cousin Flying Duck for the first time, but feels as though she has known Flying Duck all her life. Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything picks up right where Ruby Lu, Brave and True left off. Ruby is adjusting to sharing her home with Flying Duck and her aunt and uncle. She loves all the hustle and bustle and special attention that comes with welcoming her relatives to America. Most of all, Ruby loves Flying Duck. Flying Duck is deaf, but can speak and lip-read Cantonese, lip-read a little English, and do Chinese Sign Language. Flying Duck is the same age and grade as Ruby, and like Ruby, she is smart, sweet, and fun.

There are things Ruby does not like about living with her relatives. She doesn't like how nobody at home speaks English anymore, or how chopsticks completely replaced forks at the dinner table. There are many more things Ruby doesn't like about living with her relatives, but it's not that she doesn't like different foods, languages, or habits. She just doesn't like having her life turned upside down.

Ruby has even more on her plate. These days she's always fighting with her best friend and neighbor Emma. One fight was so bad that she tried to jump Emma! Ruby wonders why friendship is so hard. Ruby is also getting into trouble at school. In fact, she has to go to summer school. Yikes. Plus, Ruby's parents are making her take swimming lessons even though she is afraid of swimming and water. Double yikes. Oh, and there are all the items on Ruby's 12-Step Summer Plans to take care of!

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything is about family, friends, school, summer, and community, and it has so much drama and excitement! Ruby gets into several scrapes that made me laugh out loud or cringe in embarrassment for her, or both! Ruby, the little girl all little girls can relate to through her adventures, continues to entertain and inspire. Lenore Look's clever and imaginative writing continues to delight. Anne Wilsdorf's black and white spot illustrations continue to charm.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything is the perfect summer read for the special little girl in your life. :o)

Set in a luxury hotel, in a fictional Central American capital. The lives of several guests play out over a week's time. The central character is Suki Palacios, a Japanese Mexican American matador. She's in town for the first ever female bull fighting competition. Suki Palacios is a very memorable character. There is strength in her skill and beauty. She commands the attention of everyone.

The ongoing presidential election is an essential part of the story. This novel is filled with strong female protagonists, including ex guerrilla, Aura Estrada. Aura comes face to face with the colonel responsible for the death of her brother.

Garcia has crafted a beautiful, elegant and lyrical story. Only 205 pages, the author takes the less is more approach. I love novels where there's meaning and purpose behind each word and pause.

"Last night Suki visited the cathedral, off the colonial plaza. It was All Souls Day and the whisperings to the dead rose from the pews, circling in the naves until they hummed with a humid sorrow. Suki trusts in the enigmas of the unknown as she does her own eyesight, or the pumping muscles of her heart. The trick is balancing the measurable known against the vast chaos that defines everything else. In medical school, Suki's professors praised her for her lack of sentimentality but they underestimated her respect for the imperceptible." (from arc)

Cristina Garcia is a bestselling author and National Book Award Finalist. The Lady Matador's Hotel will be released in September. Garcia also as a collection of poetry that will be released in May called The Lesser Tragedy of Death. Don't be surprised if you see that reviewed here in the future.

Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China
Retold by: Ai-Ling Louie
Illustrated by: Ed Young
Philomel Books
1982
For ages 4-8
32 pgs.
Reviewer: Tarie


The story of Yeh-Shen, one of the oldest versions of Cinderella, dates from the T'ang dynasty in China (618-907 A.D.). It even predates the oldest European version of Cinderella, which is an Italian story from 1634.

Yeh-Shen is an orphan who lives with her stepmother and stepsister. She is given the heaviest and most unpleasant chores and not enough food to eat because her stepmother resents how Yeh-Shen is much more beautiful than her own daughter. Yeh-Shen's only friend is a fish in a pond. Her stepmother kills the fish and cooks it for dinner. An old sage reveals to Yeh-Shen that the bones of the fish are filled with a powerful spirit. Whenever Yeh-Shen is in serious need, she can kneel before the fish bones and they will grant her heart's desire.

One year, Yeh-Shen longs to go to the village spring festival, but her stepmother will not allow her. Yeh-Shen kneels before the fish bones and wishes to go to the festival. Immediately she finds herself in an azure blue gown, kingfisher feather cloak, and gold slippers. At the festival, people wonder who Yeh-Shen is. She is so beautiful that she seems like a heavenly being. When her stepsister sees her, Yeh-Shen runs home and loses one of her gold slippers along the way.

A villager finds the slipper and sells it to a merchant who in turn gives it to a king. The king is so fascinated by the tiny slipper that he searches for its owner. The slipper is placed in a pavilion by the road and many women, including Yeh-Shen's stepmother and stepsister, try it on in the hopes of claiming it. Yeh-Shen doesn't go to the pavilion until very late at night and when she takes the slipper, at first the king thinks that she is a thief. Then he notices that Yeh-Shen is beautiful and has the tiniest feet he has ever seen. He follows Yeh-Shen home and asks her to put on the slippers. As soon as Yeh-Shen is wearing the slippers, she once again finds herself in an azure blue gown and a kingfisher feather cloak. The king falls in love with her and they live happily ever after.

Yeh-Shen's story may seem even more fantastical than the Disney version of Cinderella, but because of Ai-Ling Louie's prose and storytelling skills and Ed Young's illustrations, readers young and young at heart will eat this book up. The watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are uncannily both detailed and impressionistic. They are sublime, as per usual with Young's illustrations.

What I found most interesting about Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China is how it depicts certain elements of ancient Chinese culture: the desirability of tiny feet on a woman and the association of fish with good fortune.

Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story f

Color Me Brown is a weekly event that grew out of last summer's Color Me Brown Challenge.

A few articles and holiday gift guides have included my books this month.

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book is featured in Latina Magazine along with a small selection of other Latino themed and Spanish Language books here. This list also includes one of my favorite books this year: Animal poems of the Iguazu/ Animalario del Iguazu, by Francisco Alarcon and Maya Christina Gonzales.

The BCCB of the University of Illinois has an annotated list of books for youth 2009, here. My Book Just in Case it is there too.

My newest book, My abuelita, written by Tony Johnston appears in the San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gifth Guide, and it is recommended in Over The River, Through the Woods: A Literary Visit To Grandma’s House by The Bulletin.

The United Farm Workers store recommends, of course, Harvesting Hope: the Story of Cesar Chavez, and so does the Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources Catalog. While you are there also check the Peace Bank, a terracotta sphere with the word peace inscribed in many languages ( I am putting that one in my own list).

Now, if looking for a Christmas themed book, here come the recommendations for A Piñata In A Pine Tree, A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas, by Pat Mora, illustrated by Magaly Morales (yes, my sister), at the Contra Costa Times, The Horn Book, Grand Rapids Living, Children's Literature, and School Library Journal.

My personal favorite this season? Besides A Piñata In A Pine Tree, which offers a luminous representation of Latino Christmas, I was captivated by the poetry of Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen , Bernier-Grand and David Diaz. A powerful book.

Often people ask me where to find my books or those titles that I talk about, and I always send people to their neighborhood independent bookstore. I also recommend that if the bookstore doesn't currently have those books, to ask the clerk to requested them. Most bookstores will have the book available in a mater of a few days, and this is the best way to let local businesses know about more books

It's has been too long since I've read women's literature, a genre that dominated my reading before I began running my group for girls. Some readers have commented that we focus on YA. Well, I need to address that. I love YA but I'm grown woman who enjoys women's stories as well. We do cover adult literature here and I will work on creating greater balance.

With that said, today's Color Me Brown Links focus on strong women in adult situations. I haven't read Bless Me Ultima but it is included as a closing to our month long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Hope you find a good read here.

You might recall Bless Me Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya is one of our recommended titles for Hispanic Heritage Month. We can thank the voracious reader, Eva for a great review at A Striped Armchair.
I knew that it was a coming-of-age story set in New Mexico during the 40s. I vaguely imagined some kind of The Outsiders only with Hispanic teens. But I was so wrong! Antonio, the protagonist, is only 6 when the story begins (and 7 when it ends). And the book is about religion and belief; it’s Antonio’s religious coming-of-age tale. Ultima is a wisewoman, or curandera, who comes to live with his family in her old age.

Lotus Reads reads some amazing works. Most times the novels are set in places I've never been and her reviews are as brilliant as the stories written. Here's a collection of reviews starting with a Woman at Point Zero.Firdaus was born into a peasant home in Egypt. From a young age she realized that being born a girl was a curse. Women were just property that men owned....chattel. Even their bodies didn't belong to them, but to the men that "kept" them. She was only a little girl when her Uncle's hands would steal to her thighs as she worked on kneading dough for the family meal, and then, when she was not much older she was given in marriage to a grotesquely-ugly man in his '60's who used her for his pleasure...

If you enjoy the more heady, academic reviews do check out Asian American Literature Fans. I don't spend enough time there. If you're nerdy and enjoyed lectures, go here. Stephen Hongsohn reviews The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar.
Thrity Umrigar’s The Weight of Heaven is perhaps one of my favorite novels I have read in the past couple of years. It’s a hefty book as the title suggests, especially as is routed through the ethics of globalization. What makes this book a success is the absolute conviction with which we believe the bereavement of the main characters, Frank and Ellie Benton, who lose their son, Benny, to a tragic bout with meningitis.

Have you read or written a review that you think we should feature for CMB? Send me a link. Happy reading.

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox
Christina Garcia
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
2008
Reviewer: Doret

I loved this book. Yumi Ruiz Hirsch is Cuban, Jewish and Japanese. She's also surfer/skater boarder, classical clarinetist, who loves good rock ( Ramones), and she plays a decent bass guitar. Garcia refused to limit who Yumi was and who she could become. The summer is over, Yumi is returning from Surfer's camp, she'll be entering the 8th grade. Yumi's lives with her mother. Her parents have been divorced since she was one. Yumi is very close to Saul her Jewish grandfather. Saul is ninety-two and dying of cancer. Yumi asks Saul to tell his story and he does. The story alternates between Yumi's everyday life and visiting Saul.

Much is going on in Yumi's life. Her mom is dating for the first time in years and due to a lack of funds, the school orchestra is being discontinued. To save the orchestra, the members decide to put on a rock concert with classical instruments. Yumi is one of the students who takes charge. It was her idea.

How about a fund raising concert? I suggest. Maybe an all girl punk band. Dad says you can play punk with three chords and lots of attitude, so how hard could it be? I figure we could cover a couple of great Ramones songs, maybe write one of our own. In less than five minutes everyone is already fighting over a name for our nonexistent band. I'm in favor of Don't Call Me Miss. the other contenders are Testosterone Free Zone (TFZ), The Anastasia's, Kisses for a Dollar, the Neo-Cramps, and Nasty Girl. Quincy complains that boys shouldn't be excluded from the band and says he'll play in drag if he has to. Believe me, at six foot two and one hundred seventy pounds, that would not be a pretty sight.

I loved this book from the beginning. Garcia's created a wonderful character in Yumi. The ending reminded me of another book I loved Kephart's, House of Dance. I knew Saul was going to die, but it's still sad. The authors don't want the readers to linger on death but to look forward and they look to dance as a way to embrace life. This book came out in 2008, I only just heard about it last recently. I Wanna be Your Shoebox is a book diamond. I loved this book so much I will be reading Garcia's adult novelDreaming in Cuban, next. I don't usually read two books by an author so close together but I Wanna be Your Shoebox was so good I am making an exception. Ages 9 up. I highly recommend it. An excellent book club selection. I read the hardcover edition but I like the look of the QP better so that's the one I used. The paperback will be released on Sept 22. though this book is hardcover worthy. Or simply check your local library. Read an excerpt. As an added bonus here's Dreaming in Cuban Google Preview.

If you're thinking, "Oh my an added bonus, I've never seen that before. This book must be extra special," You would be correct. So go get your hands on a copy of I Wanna Be Your Shoebox.
_________________________________________________
Doret knows YA. She's bookseller, reader and reviewer. When she's not helping me with lists and "What Do I Read Next?" and any number of other features here at Color Online, Doret blogs at Happy Nappy Bookseller. Check her out.

Every Thursday you will find Color Me Brown Links. This feature grew out of our Color Me Brown Challenge, which was a call to action issued by me for readers to blog brown. CMB was a huge success and my hope is that we continue to build on this momentum.This week's links:

Sweet Summer: Growing Up With and Without My Dad reviewed by Jill at Rhapsody In Books.
She was born in 1950 in Philadelphia. Her father, George Moore, was involved in a car crash that left him a paraplegic when Bebe was just ten months old. Soon thereafter, her parents separated. Her father moved back to his childhood home in North Carolina. As a young girl, she spent every summer with her father.

The Other Side of Paradise reviewed by Imani Perry at The Defenders Online.
Staceyann Chin’s memoir, The Other Side of Paradise is a kuntsleroman, the coming-of-age story of an artist. It begins with her early childhood. Staceyann and her older brother are being reared by their efficiently loving and spiritually devout grandmother, two small poor children in rural Jamaica. By memoir’s end she has attended the most elite University in the Caribbean, found her actor’s voice through a theatrical production of Barbadian poet Kamau Braithwaite’s The Arrivants, and is departing for New York City.

Biracial Picture Books featured in Renee's Multicultural Minute #4 at Shen Books.
Down To The Bone reviewed by oyceter at Sakura of Doom.
Laura Amores is kicked out of Catholic school when a nun finds a note sent to her from her girlfriend, Marlena. She's then kicked out of the house by her mother. She manages to find shelter with her best friend Soli, and she spends most of the book trying to figure out her sexuality and what communities she wants to belong to.

Once a month, I will randomly pick a reviewer to receive a free book from our Prize Bucket. If you find a review you think we should feature, write me at [email protected].

Happy reading.

I cannot review every book I read but I do want to talk about what I've read especially since I'm posting weekly about books I've received or check out from the library. Each week or as regularly as I can, I'll share annotations about what I read for the week.

Last week, I had a good run with children's and YA fiction. Whenever I need a real boost, some inspiration, just plain good feelings, these are the books I turned to the young. I read:

A Cool Moonlight by Angela Johnson. I read this because of Alessandra's review. The simplicity of the language here is deceptive. It takes a skilled writer to use sparse and simple words and leave an indelible impression. Subtlety is an art. In this book there is an undeniable magic and hope that resonates with the reader no matter how old she is.



The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston. I really wanted to like this book because I liked the premise: a young feminist committed to supporting her peers, helping them build self-esteem and find their girl power. Kayla is smart, articulate, athletic and articulate. How could you not love her? What bothers me most is what's not here. Kayla and her best friend spout off feminist quotes like boys cite sport stats. Pretty impressive except as a quote collector and black feminist myself, who the girls aren't quoting sticks out like static hair. Kayla wants to be a journalist, but she doesn't quote any notable black journalists like icons, Daisy Bates or Nancy Maynard. Kayla's grandmother and Rosalie's mother are both professors and feminists. If you know anything about women of color feminists, you know there are some rifts with the majority movement so it is more than strange that there isn't a single quote by notable black feminists such as Belle Hooks, Alice Walker or Audre Lorde. And the book reads as if Winston can't quite figure how to balance traditional gender roles and a modern feminist view of how women are defining themselves. Kayla is a teen so you expect her confusion but competing sub-plots suggests Winston isn't sure how to create a believable cast.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson. Lonnie Collins Motion is eleven. He was seven when his parents died in a fire. He's in foster care and a separated from his younger sister Lili. His teacher, Ms. Marcus introduces Lonnie to poetry. Writing it all down and visiting with his sister, Lonnie finds a way to cope with loss and to have hope that he and Lili will be united. I haven't read many verse novels but I am quickly becoming a fan. Lonnie says the entire book is a poem and it is. It is lyrical, fluid and affecting. Loved this.

I recently read a post that suggested maybe we don't feature enough books often enough, so I'm going address that in a number of ways. One way will be cross-posting about books I've read but I have written full reviews for. Frankly, with a goal of 100 reads this year, working, writing for two blogs and meeting with CO members, it's not possible to review every book, but I can share what I've been reading. This morning, I'm sharing my response to one of Weekly Geeks' assignment which was to discuss historical fiction. Find more here.

Starting today, book titles will be linked to Shelfari when reviews are available there. Doing this will give you access to not only reviews but to members who've read the book and where you might find group discussions.

Is there a particular era that you love reading about? Tell us about it--give us a book list, if you'd like. Include pictures or some fun facts from that time period, maybe link to a website that focuses on that time. Educate us.

I prefer recent history say the last hundred years or so. I’ve mentioned before that I love multicultural literature and historical fiction provides one of the best ways to learn about another culture and its history. Favorite books of this type include:

In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This is about the Mirabel sisters' who fought against Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Read a Color Online reader's review here.

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat. This is the same country, but told from the point of view of Haitian migrant workers. It looks at the relationship between the ruling class and the sugar cane and other Haitian laborers.

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. 15-year-old Genna is transported to 1863 Brooklyn during the Civil War and specifically the New York Draft riots.

Those Bones Are Not My Child by Toni Cade Bambara. This is a fictional account of a mother whose child goes missing in Atlanta during the rash of real kidnappings during the 1979-81. The book is chock full of other recent history like the Vietnam War.


The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon. This coming-of-age story is about two brothers who make life-changing decisions during the height of Civil Rights Movement.

A member of your book group, Ashley, mentions that she almost never reads Historical Fiction because it can be so boring. It's your turn to pick the book for next month and you feel it's your duty to prove her wrong. What book do you pick?

I’d share links to all of the books above and suggest she choose.

Mission Accomplished! Here’s one more list of gift suggestions, this time with a number of adult titles that should also be fine for older teens. Thanks to Boni Ashburn and Lorie Ann Grover (where are your blogs, ladies?), who gave great suggestions — and made my job that much easier.

I hope that you find these lists helpful in giving books for the holidays and for gifts through the rest of the year. Hey, tell your friends. December is the only time of year I can really earn any money as an Amazon Associate, and that tiny referral fee allows me to rationalize my enormous amount of time on this blog.

1. Pair Toy Boat with toy boats.
   


2. Give Go to Bed, Monster! with a pack of fat crayons and a stack of copy paper from an office supply store.
   


3. Give little superheroes Wombat And Fox along with a superhero cape.
   


4. Pair Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek with Lincoln Logs.
   


5. What else can go with Monkey With A Tool Belt but a tool belt?
   


6. Inspire young builders with Iggy Peck, Architect and a building set.
   


7. Take to the ice with book choices Angelina Ice Skates or Katie Kazoo, On Thin Ice or Mia (American Girl) and passes to the local ice-skating rink.
   


8. Pair fantasy book Savvy with with an assortment of temporary or henna tattoos.
   


9. Take a road trip with Could You? Would You? and passes to a museum or zoo or activity some distance away, so you can use the driving time to ask each other the interesting questions from the book.
   


10. Blooming fashionistas will appreciate Paper Fashions (Klutz) (all thirty-five Amazon reviews gave five stars!) along with Fashion Kitty for younger girls and Fashion 101: A Crash Course in Clothing for tweens.
    


11. Give Inkheart with a movie theater gift card to see the film in January.
    


12. Give Looks with the CD Acoustic Soul.
    


13. Pair House of Dance with ballroom dance lessons.
    


14. Give Life is Sweet with chocolate, any kind.
    


15. Buy two copies of The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World  — one for you, one for a friend — and make a lunch date to talk about the book and one’s personal quest for happiness.
    


16. Give This I Believe II with the first book This I Believe and a journal to capture great revelations of inner truth.
    


17. Election withdrawal? Buy Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope or Life’s The American Journey of Barack Obama and throw in an Obama finger puppet just for fun.
    


18. Give nonfiction book Fruitless Fall with real honey from a whole foods store.
    


19. Match travel memoir-themed books with the... um, drink of the region. Like In a Sunburned County with Yellow Tail wine from Australia or The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific with coconut rum. (Adults only for this gift, obviously.)
    


20. Colbert fans and soon-to-be converts need I Am America (And So Can You) along with the greatest gift of all, the DVD A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All.
    


21. Give The Devil Wears Prada, Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office, and This Little Piggy Went to Prada in a Prada bag (from eBay! C’mon, a girl can dream...)
    

All right, here are 2008 books with gift suggestions. Thanks to Abby the Librarian, whose suggestions got me a quarter of the way through the list. She is also running twelve days of great book suggestions, so stop on by and pick up more ideas. Fresh ideas also came from The Reading Tub — where you’ll also find more wonderful titles to read and give — and from The Kiddosphere — now with comments!

I’d like to do one more list and bring the total suggestions up to a hundred. For this one, I’m taking suggestions for any book from any year. I’m also looking to include some new title suggestions to my original ideas. Maybe there’s another great bathtime or bedtime book I should highlight. The only thing I ask is that the book be something that you know and would recommend. Have fun.

1. Pair Monsters on Machines or Building with Dad with toy construction vechicles.
   


2. Give your little dragon-lover Hush Little Dragon or Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood with the cutest dragon ever.
   


3. Is there a doctor in the house? There will be with picture book Doctor Ted along with a doctor kit.
   


4. Future firefighter? Give Firefighters (People in the Community) and Firefighters A to Z and firefighter gear.
   


5. Pair picture book stunner How I Learned Geography with an inflatable globe.
   


6. What else can go with Lester Fizz, Bubble Gum Artist other than gum — and perhaps an early apology to the parents.
   


7. Nature lovers will enjoy Birdsongs along with a guidebook like Backyard Birds and some binoculars. (BTW, these look like a good deal.)
   


8. For more nature, pair Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly with a butterfly garden kit.
   


9. Cat lovers can enjoy three new picture books, Grumpy Cat, Katie Loves the Kittens, and Wabi Sabi with a cat card game.
   


10. Expand the idea of giving with Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival and a Pawsitively New Orleans T-shirt, and throw in some Mardi Gras beads.
    


11. Give One Hen — How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference with a loan to Kiva or a donation to Heifer International to buy chicks.
    


12. Give What the World Eats with a promise for an international dinner out or in.
    


13. Give Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes with, um, cute stationery.
    


14. Pair Every Soul a Star with The Kids Book of the Night Sky and plan a date to look at the stars together.
    


15. You can’t go wrong with the funny poems and outstanding art in Frankenstein Takes the Cake along with a cake-baking session, followed by reading the book together. As a matter of fact, throw in Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and make a whole day of it.
    


16. Speaking of the amazing Adam Rex, give the hilarious book The True Meaning of Smekday with a the related T-shirt Regarding Stickyfish Teams, I Favor the Bigfield Fighting Koobish.
    


17. Buy a teen My Life the Musical or Dramarama along with tickets to a show.
    


18. Give Young Adult book A La Carte with personal cooking lessons


19. Match casino gambling themed Drop with a deck of cards and a family game of penny poker or blackjack.
    


20. I’ve used this before, but there is no 2008 book that more deserves post-reading discussion at Starbucks than The Adoration of Jenna Fox.
    


21. I left this picture book for the end, because I think it has many levels and can be enjoyed by all ages. Give How to Heal a Broken Wing in a quiet moment and have a heart-to-heart talk.
    

I’m still working on this year's titles — I'm really hoping for some suggestions in the comments — and reposting my first three lists. Today's list is from last December, focusing on 2007 titles. It should be noted that all the lists have some combinations that will work for other titles. Of course, you can always give your book blogger buddies BACA logo mugs, T-shirts, and bumper stickers — available for purchase at the MotherReader store — with any non-celebrity book. But we won’t count that suggestion.

1. Take a bedtime book like The Bunnies are Not in Their Beds or At Night and add a personalized pillow.
   


2. Give your favorite girly-girl Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy with dress-up jewelry and/or a fancy poodle and its own dress-up clothes.
   


3. Give your rough little boy Pirates Don’t Change Diapers along with genuine pirate gear.
   


4. Take sweet picture book Lissy’s Friends and pair it with an origami kit.
   


5. Picture book stunners The Zoo or Pssst! would be perfect with a zoo animal collection or game.
   


6. Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy is a book that deserves its own bathrobe and/or bubble bath.
   


7. Looking for something a little offbeat? Maybe Cowboy and Octopus with a cowboy hat or an octopus.
   


8. For business-minded kids, pair The Lemonade War with a coin counter bank.
   


9. All the elementary school kids will love The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but you can pair it with tin wind-up toys for extra flair.
   


10. Give Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little with um, Stuart Little.
    


11. Give Kimchi & Calamari with a promise for a dinner out Korean style, or Italian style, or both.
    


12. Perhaps Fabulous Hair with a hair accessory kit will make someone smile.
    


13. Wrap up A Crooked Kind of Perfect with those excellent socks from the cover. (Maybe these are closer?)
    


14. Treat a tween to Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf along with pink nail polish, lipstick, post-it notes, and special bubble bath, as mentioned in the book.
    


15. How about Diary of a Wimpy Kid with a the Do It Yourself Journal?
    


16. Or maybe Here Be Monsters! with a Nightmare Snatcher Journal.
    


17. Or Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer with a fairy diary.
    


18. Buy His Dark Materials Trilogy along with tickets to The Golden Compass.
    


19. Give Young Adult book Beige with a mix CD of the songs in the chapter titles (or an iTunes gift card).
    


20. Give Young Adult book The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl with How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains (or an iTunes gift card).
    


21. Match poetry books with poetry beads or magnetic poetry. Some 2007 suggestions: Animal Poems, This is a Poem That Heals Fish, Tap Dancing on the Roof, This is Just to Say, or Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems.

While I’m working on my goal to match 2008 books with a little something extra — and feel free to make suggestions in the comments — I’m reposting my first three lists. Like yesterday’s list, this one focuses on 2006 titles with some older books. It should be noted that all the lists have some combinations that will work for other titles.

1. Pair Mo Willems’ book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus with a toy bus and a cargo truck.
   


2. Pair The Moon with a flashlight and a promise for a nighttime walk or two.
   


3. Pair new-classic Duck and Goose with a bright spotted ball (fans will know why).
   


4. Pair MotherReader favorite The Day the Babies Crawled Away with a baby doll.
   


5. Pair the funny wordless book Once Upon a Banana and a stuffed monkey — but show your sense of humor by throwing a banana into the gift bag.
   


6. Pair silly beginning reader book The Monster in the Backpack with a cute backpack (monster additional).
   


7. Pair classic A Bargain For Frances with a tea set.
   


8. Pair the offbeat book Pecorino Plays Ball with a bat and ball. You can throw in a coupon book for practice sessions.
   


9. Pair Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs with a kazoo.
   


10. Combine sweet Jenny and the Cat Club with a red scarf (don’t worry if it’s too long — so is Jenny’s) and a black cat.
    


11. Pair Clarice Bean Spells Trouble with a game of Scrabble, and some of your time to teach it.
    


12. Pair a drawing book like Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircrafts, and Spaceships or Draw 50 Cats with a couple of nice sketch pads.
    


13. Pair Phineas MacGuire... Erupts! with a science kit, or the next book in the series, Phineas MacGuire... Gets Slimed! with the slime science kit.
    


14. Pair a spy-themed book like Steal Back the Mona Lisa! (picture book), The Case of the Climbing Cat (beginning reader), Harriet the Spy (chapter book) or Secrets, Lies, Gizmos, and Spies: a History of Espionage (nonfiction) with rear-view sunglasses and/or a fingerprint kit.
    


15. Bigger girls like stuffed animals too. How about Hoot with an owl, The World According to Humphrey with a hamster, or Room With a Zoo with a puppy?
    


16. Pair a magic book of your choice with magic tricks.
    


17. Pair The Crafty Diva’s D. I. Y. Stylebook: A Grrrl’s Guide to Cool Creations You Can Make, Show Off, and Share or The Girls’ World Book of Friendship Crafts: Cool Stuff to Make with Your Best Friends with a gift card to a local craft store, and maybe some shopping and crafting time together.
    


18. Pair Knitgrrl: Learn to Knit With 15 Fun And Funky Projects and/or Chicks with Sticks: It’s a Purl Thing with yarn, knitting needles, and a promise for some lessons.
    


19. Pair Ductigami: The Art of Tape with... well, rolls of duct tape.
    


20. Pair King Dork with a CD of The Mr. T Experience.
    


21. It’s not really a toy or separate gift, but take a special book, like Wow! It Sure is Good to Be You (which is about an aunt loving her far-away niece) and make a CD recording of you reading it.
    

All over the kidlitosphere, I’ve been reading about giving books for the holidays. Chasing Ray is keeping track of bloggers’ book recommendations. There’s even a Buy Books for the Holidays website. As it so happens, over the past couple of years, I’ve made lists pairing books with something extra to give it that fun factor. Each day this week, I’ll be posting those lists with updated shopping links. I’ll also be creating one with the newest titles. Altogether, I hope these ideas make your holiday shopping more fun.

The links to products are to make it easier for devoted online shoppers. Many things could be found cheaper at discount and even dollar stores. Today’s re-posted list has some classic favorites and some often new-to-you 2006 highlighted titles along with a matching gift idea.

1. Pair a classic Raggedy Ann or Winnie-the-Pooh book with its character stuffed animal.
   


2. Pair a book with a related stuffed animal, like Where’s My Teddy? with a teddy bear. Or Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type with a stuffed cow — or if you prefer, a slingshot cow.
   


3. Pair Bubble Bath Pirates or Beasty Bath with a cool rubber duck at Captain Quack... or hey, even a huge rubber duck.
   


4. Pair The Snow Globe Family with a snow globe.
   


5. Pair Lilly’s Big Day or Fancy Nancy with dress-up clothes.
   


6. Pair Toys Go Out with a red bouncy ball, or a stuffed stingray or buffalo.
   


7. Pair a nonfiction book about dinosaurs, like Boy! Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs, with a bunch of plastic ones.
   


8. Pair Amazing Sharks! and A Shark Pup Grows Up for beginning readers and throw in a shark on a stick.
   


9. Pair a book like The Spiderwick Chronicles with the DVD.
   


10. Pair a theme book like Katie and the Mustang with a horse charm and a satin cord from a craft store.
    


11. Pair a theme book like Fairy Realm with a charm bracelet.
    


12. Pair a detective book with a magnifying glass.
    


13. Pair Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon with a homemade coupon for a visit to the Air and Space Museum (okay, this might only work around Washington, DC) or astronaut ice cream.
    


14. Pair any book with another book from the bargain section, maybe something silly or crafty or gimmicky.
    


15. Pair a diary-format book like Lucy Rose: Big on Plans (3rd/4th grade), Amelia’s Notebook (4th/5th grade), or The Princess Diaries (6th/7th grade) with a journal with fun pens.
    


16. Pair a book like Eragon or Charolotte’s Web with a gift card to rent the movie.
    


17. Pair The Art Book for Children with watercolor paints or an art set.
    


18. Pair Poetry Speaks to Children with hot chocolate, a mug, and a gift certificate for time to read it together.
    


19. Pair a teen or tween poetry book with poetry beads, alone (provide some stretchy cord) or in a kit.
    


20. Pair a special teen favorite with a gift card to Starbucks and a promise to talk about the book over coffee.
    


21. Give a book all on its own, carefully picked and lovingly wrapped, with no excuses and no guilt.
    

Today’s re-posted list from last year again has some classic favorites and some often new-to-you 2006 highlighted titles along with a matching gift idea. If you’ve become inspired by the match-up game, throw out your titles and gifts in the comments. I’m very disappointed that I couldn’t think of a good gift match for some of my favorite books, including Clementine (other than a box of the fruit,